People working in the culinary arts, and homemakers have used measuring spoons over the years to measure free flowing materials of various kinds including a flake or particulate material, such as for example, granular or powder materials, including spices, flour, sugar, salt, pepper, artificial sweeteners, and so forth, for example. Typically, a person measures a quantity of a powder or granular material by selecting a measuring spoon or cup having a desired capacity. The material to be measured is poured into the selected measuring spoon or cup to full volume. The user thereafter dispenses the material from the spoon or cup in the measured amount as desired.
The above method of using the measuring spoon or cup is often inefficient, unsanitary and burdensome to the user. The measuring cups or spoons must be washed and stored away in between uses. Such measuring cups or spoons also require the user to open the container or jar storing the materials, and scoop or pour the correct amount without spilling the material on the countertop or the floor or contaminating the material in the container.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an improved metering and dispensing device for free flowing materials, that can be attached directly to the opening of a container holding the free flowing material, provide accurate and precise product measurement without the mess and problems associated with measuring spoons or cups, and is simple to construct and implement. There is a further need for an improved metering and dispensing device that is compact, sanitary and cost efficient and that substantially minimizes unnecessary contact with the product, while remaining simple to use. There is also a need for an improved metering and dispensing device that can be used by those with limited dexterity including the elderly or infirmed.